The most aggressive fish in North America!

In this video I explain everything you never wanted to know about a fish called a Bowfin. Watch for some amazing underwater footage of this fish and its babies.

[@bowfinnbass8836]

I appreciate you man i have been targeting bowfin for 5 years noe they are and will always be my favourite species. People have been really bad with calling them snakehead and just. Chucking them on the shore to die. I have heard every sad excuse from they est all the minnows that the other fish eat( duh they do need to eat) to they just kill bass. My greatest fear for them is they will be over killed and become extinct from certain bodies of water and soon all togeather. I never reccomend eating them always do catch and release they have the highest mercury content and other polutants than any other freshwater fish in Northamerica so i just target them for a fight. I wish more people found a way to appreciate thier beauty and how ancient they truely are.

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you! I agree! It's sad that people assume the worst about this fish and treat it as such. Where are you catching them? How often do you come across them?

[@vinny8532]

Man you are preaching to the choir! I usually chime in with the same note....its a huge pet peeve of mine also to see people throw aside bowfin just to die - thinking they are "saving the bass" by killing a fin. I often see anglers do this in my same spot...im targeting the bowfin and they are targeting bass. Bowfin are much more fun, will almost always be a better size and were my saving grave for fly fishing. When nothing else will hit regardless of how bad my flies are tied or my casting is, a bowfin always throws be a bone. I really don't know how to address folks killing fins for no good reason, one suggestion (id never do this though) was to start doing the same to bass (for later eating) in front of the bass anglers that are killing bowfin. To see how they feel about it haha not my idea but I thought it was funny. Has anyone else had a bowfin come boatside to investigate their lure? Ive had 10 minute interactions swimming flies around a bowfin and even without a bite its unreal

[@mikek860]

Great point. These fish were here WAY WAY before any so called “game fish.” There are few things that make me happier than bass fishing and having a big bowfin smoke a spinnerbait.

[@trevorhalford8410]

I'm from South Louisiana and I grew up eating Bowfin. We call them Choupic though and when you put the meat in water it does something to it and turns to mush so a few Cajuns will make Choupic patties or Choupic balls. Like crab cakes. But if you put the meat in vinegar instead of water it helps to tuffin the meat and gives it a great flavor. Nice camera action too by the way.

[@claytonsmith6092]

We call em mudfish in south georgia lol

[@andonrolins2315]

We call em grinnell here

[@shaw9462]

I caught a huge mudfish on Father's day. What a fight! Been watching mudfish videos ever since.

[@jeremyblackwater439]

This is some of the best footage of a bowfin I have ever seen. I love catching them and wish that more people knew how cool they are.

[@anthonyarens1043]

Bowfin are one of my favorite fish

[@dashydoobie9788]

They only will attack IF you’re near their fry.

[@danielshay9032]

Try Stony lake in Muskegon Michigan the bowfin there are a lot less aggressive

[@AllCanadianReptileGirl]

Very cool footage of the bowfin. So much information! A living fossil indeed! "Maybe they just like jellyfish' LOL

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you so much for watching my video! I'm happy that you enjoyed it!

[@theastuteangler]

I was wading in knee-deep water, casting for bass, pike, and keeping my eyes open for ye olde bowfin for a sight cast. I'm in the water for about 10 minutes, I reel in my cast, and I look to my right (still standing in the water), and a 7-8lb bowfin is visually locked onto my lower leg with the fin rippling. He was so ready to take a bite out of me. Luckily, I ran my spinnerbait in front of him, and the rest is history. Easily the coolest fish in North America.

[@mikek860]

The makes look crazy during the spawn when their lower fins turn fluorescent green. I love these fish!

[@FloridaAnarchist]

I currently have a six inch Bowfin / Amia Calva in my 125 gallon tank, - he eats right out of my hand

[@earli3693]

I have been hunting info. On Bowfin fish. Thank you very much! And one more question; what area of our country are Bowfin found? Thanks so much!

[@BrooksWildlife]

Only the East, from Texas to Florida, and some states further North. If you do a Google search for "Bowfin range map", it'll show you everywhere they can be found. Thank you. 👍

[@cameronbrennemanoutdoors]

I have caught two bowfin in my life. One in a drain Ditch in North Carolina and one in Lake Michigan in a weedy edge

[@twistedlines1749]

I caught a bunch of these in Northern michigan,these guys will tear up equipment,so be prepared lotsafun we call them dog fish 🐕🐟

[@chrislittle523]

One of my favorite fish to catch. Probably the best fighter in the river. I always release them.

[@BrooksWildlife]

Do you use live bait, or something else, to catch them?

[@paulbjork5976]

They fight like hell. Smash tackle. Break line. Great fish for sport. I always let them go .

[@robertrobison4683]

I love the taste of bowfin! If you fry it it tastes kinda like fried chicken

[@Kaptain.Obvious]

Couldn’t get through the self-indulgence

[@BrooksWildlife]

Awesome!

[@Jitmommy33]

Oooo you gave me a full rundown about your weight gain/loss journey.

[@jessiesalazar2640]

We eat bowfin here in arkanses well bot everyone here in arkanses but there is alot of us that do including me

[@kabzooj88]

It'll survive humans if we'll stop fishing for food.

[@anndean1659]

Wow....love this vid.....great info.....amazing fish. Thanks

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you!

[@kennethsmith8844]

I read here in SE Georgia they are edible if cleaned and cooked properly

[@anthonyarens1043]

Bowfin do not come out of the water to bite you

[@kennethsmith8844]

Have you done research to verify your statement?

[@ChrisBassFishingAdventures]

They sure will had one attack my hands when rinsing them off in the water. More then likely got close to it’s young and it went into attack mod

[@codybennett9978]

best footage of bowfin i have ever seen

[@danielshay9032]

When I catch them I don't have that much trouble

[@steveross7368]

Excellent view into the life history of such an amazing fish!

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you, and thanks for watching! It was nice meeting you yesterday. 👍

[@bigal127]

In southeast NC we cut the bowfin in half and throw them back in the water…

[@ChrisBassFishingAdventures]

Your destroying your local ecosystem good luck catching large sport fish.

[@crazymixture57]

Nice on the weight loss! I was there too brother...went from 225 lbs down to 145. I never felt better! Anyways back to the fish...I love the bowfin...such an amazing creature and definitely one of nature's coolest fish!

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you!!! Yes, so much more energy now!!

[@Baestrada]

Finally, a wild Brooks wildlife video appears!! Congrats on your weight loss! Thanks for the cool information, I learned something new :)

[@BrooksWildlife]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 😁

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Ah the hidden world of a bowfin!

[@awakenedanarchism4202]

i just put a 3 inch bowfin in my 125 gallon tank, cool fish

[@BrooksWildlife]

The color on it will really stand out in a tank. That's awesome. 👍

[@jenky1044]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this. I shot an American Bittern the other day. I thought he posed well until I found out they are very stealthy hunters. I had never seen one. Best regards.

[@BrooksWildlife]

Awesome. They can be elusive, but I have seen a few that would let you get very close. If you ever get the chance to watch them catch a snake, it is quite the show. The snake hangs on to any vegetation that it can, and the Bittern will not swallow it until it is completely dead. It can turn out to be a very long ordeal, and the Bittern is so focused on the snake, that it doesn't even notice that you're there.

[@jenky1044]

@@BrooksWildlife That would be great to see and take pictures of. Thank you,

[@MsGorteck]

I had it once. Was a wee lad and friends of my dad had caught 5-7 and carried them up in buckets to the camp. They were still alive at this point. They were killed and skinned one at a time, then battered up and deep fried. There was one left over and I had to return it to the lake and tossed it in the water. After about 5min it woke up(?) and swam away. It was a beer batter and they were delicious, even though everyone complained that it was a trash fish. I can also attest to their flesh turning to "jelly" very quickly after death. Don't know about the leftovers, as there were none.

[@Dakid2508]

Great video. Just caught one tonight, and it was no joke with its aggressive strike on a dead bluegill hooked through its dorsal. Catch and release, so I can't testify to its taste or texture.

[@fishhunt3471]

I can speak for their texture. Skip it

[@brienfoaboutanything9037]

Wikipedia about Bowfin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iobMe36wecqfeMU

[@MITCHY_B_2003]

I got some footage on my channel of a great blue heron gobbling up a baby duckling .

[@justinhicks8386]

I wanna catch a big 1 and get a replica mount for the game room

[@jamesbreve4864]

Happy lbgt pride everyone

[@DarrenSinnott1]

Hey great video. Caught a Bowfin tonight for the first time and returned him happily to his nest. Thanks for all the info.